Boy dies after Mason Co. fire

POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — An 11-year-old boy trapped inside a burning home in Pt. Pleasant has died. The fire happened Saturday morning.

Investigators said Braxton Smith died of his injuries. His brother 14-year-old Tre is in critical condition at Shriner’s Hospital in Cincinnati and their sister 26-year-old Tiffany is in critical condition at the Cabell-Huntington Burn Unit. Firefighters said their parents were able to get out of the burning house through a window.

The fire is still under investigation.

Donations for the “Billy and LaTanya Smith Benefit Fund” were being accepted at all People’s Bank locations.

MetroNews Staff

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Comments

Point man

Sadly, it's being reported that the 26 year old has also passed away.

January 21, 2014 at 8:27 am |

jenny

was there a smoke detector?

January 20, 2014 at 7:46 pm |

friend

Yes! A few through the home.

January 21, 2014 at 3:17 am |

Ellen

Not sure. I never heard any mentioned in the news reports.

January 20, 2014 at 9:21 pm |

knows

Id die inside the house before i crawled out the window knowing my kids were still inside.....prayers for the family and especially the kids

January 19, 2014 at 4:20 pm |

friend

Trust me, comments like this are hurtful and pretty awful to say things that family and friends would read, or that maybe would make someone look like they crawled out of a window with children in the home. Listen to the news carefully please for the sake of someone thinking this family would do that. They did not crawl!!! They were all up stairs to start with and it is a very large and tall home. They were all trapped and the parents were trying to get the window open so they could link the kids out or try to lower them out some how. They really really tried to do best, because there was no where to go. Very sadly, this had happened fast. And after opening one of the doors in the home to first find a way out other than the window, it busted fire out at the father. The only reason the children were sent with the guidence of the oldest sister to run like hell for the door and through fire......... is because after a bunch of time trying to get this window open, the fire had stared to be right there with no choice but too make your children at least have a chance, and have them run first and fast and make sure they got out, instead of ever ever ever running out ahead of them, or even risking trying to run with them, and then somehow take space from them having a better chance. While that is all happening the father is trying to still get the window opened and the stuck air conditioner out, so they could at least try to survive, and he did get it opened. And yes the fire reached the parents right before they got it opened and jumped. Maybe since it had reached them and they had got the kids out safe instead of having them to stay after a certain point that they were gonna burn up for sure..... The parents should have just sat down and kill themselves at that point, what u think better of the situation then? If the kids did not run when they did, they would have burned more than what they did, or at least at the point that they had them run.... they could have already been getting burned, and the dad was still struggleing to open the window. They would have not even made it this long if the parents did not do what they did. The time it would have took to try and get each kid out or even if they would have been able to do that, just was not a option by then. It was too late and if i would have done it, i would do the same.

January 21, 2014 at 3:39 am |

Point man

Purportedly the father was attempting to kick a window a/c out, and the kids panicked and ran out a different way, right through the flames. It's very easy to say what you'd do until you were actually in the situation.

January 19, 2014 at 7:18 pm |

friend

Thank you :) I don't understand anyone who would base anything off of a story that they only know is the basic info!!! A big fire, kids got out from door but went through major fire, parents could not open open from top floor, and fire fighters could not get the fire to calm enough to go in for them. This is all anyone needs to know. And someone criticizes that at the same time of saying how sad it is and they are praying??? Sounds like praying and being supportive to me!! ugh

January 21, 2014 at 3:44 am |

FFA MOUNTAINEER

Their 11 year old son Braxton passed away late last night/ early this morning. Prayers are needed for everyone involved.

January 19, 2014 at 1:34 pm |

Ellen

They will all certainly be in my thoughts and prayers.
Although I haven't been past there yet to see exactly where it happened I'm sure it is probably a place I have driven by many times and never gave a second thought to the people who lived there. Being a fellow resident of Mason County it makes it even harder for me to come to terms with the loss of that little boy even though I do not know the family personally.

January 19, 2014 at 2:35 pm |

Ellen

I was heartbroken and actually brought to tears at the thought of what that family must have gone through trying to escape the fire especially those children who were so badly burned. My heart goes out to them and their family.